creative, fun, clever, romantic, heartwarming and DIY - great ideas for special touches at your wedding

Google Analytics tracking code

TO CREATE YOUR OWN WEDDING MAGIC LET YOUR WEDDING MATCH YOUR STYLE

TO CREATE YOUR OWN WEDDING MAGIC LET YOUR WEDDING MATCH YOUR STYLE. Chris and Kyle are big Dr. Who fans and the TARDIS was on the guest book canvas that was to be framed after the wedding. (photo by Hannah Woodard Photography)

CELEBRATING THE HEART AND CREATIVITY IN WEDDINGS

Welcome! This site is a tribute to my many wedding couples who have created unique and beautiful surroundings for their weddings. Their creativity and ingenuity reflected their personalities and together we have often created new ways to modernize old traditions.

If you are looking for a minister for your wedding in the Triangle area of Raleigh, Durham and Chapel Hill, NC, contact me for a free consultation. Together we can create a ceremony that reflects your love, your personality and your dreams for your future.

Tara and John were so much fun to get to know. They had some unusual ideas for their wedding and I loved being a part of something so out of the ordinary.

To begin with, John told me all the groomsmen were wearing Converse high tops for the wedding and that his in particular were to be embroidered with their wedding date. Love the idea.

And Tara’s father was going to play trumpet for the Bridal Party processional before escorting his daughter down the aisle. A terrific addition!

They planned their wedding to take place in the Marbles Kids Museum in downtown Raleigh. By day this incredible place hosts hundreds of kids of all ages in the various play exhibits on its grounds and by night it transforms into a great, urban event location with a tremendous ambiance. Tara and John took full advantage of this in their decorations.

Here is where we stood for the ceremony.

This is the world globe on the floor of the museum, on which the tables and dance floor were located.

Here is the lobby area, set up for the festivities. A full bar is to the right, out of view.

And here are the clever decorations around the room, mixed in with the museum decor.

This is their festive cupcake tower, provided by Square Rabbit of Raleigh.

Right across the street was the Caffé Luna, which hosted the rehearsal dinner and catered the food for the wedding reception. They offer excellent Italian cuisine and are always a big hit with guests.

It was a special wedding and promised to be a fun celebration into the wee hours of the morning. Here’s one of my favorite photos taken that night, of John and his Groomsmen (his dad and brothers) wearing their famous high tops.

Tara and John, may you have a wonderful life together doing things the way you like them best... unexpectedly.

Tara and John were so much fun to get to know. They had some unusual ideas for their wedding and I loved being a part of something so out of the ordinary.

To begin with, John told me all the groomsmen were wearing Converse high tops for the wedding and that his in particular were to be embroidered with their wedding date. Love the idea.

And Tara’s father was going to play trumpet for the Bridal Party processional before escorting his daughter down the aisle. A terrific addition!

They planned their wedding to take place in the Marbles Kids Museum in downtown Raleigh. By day this incredible place hosts hundreds of kids of all ages in the various play exhibits on its grounds and by night it transforms into a great, urban event location with a tremendous ambiance. Tara and John took full advantage of this in their decorations.

Here is where we stood for the ceremony.

This is the world globe on the floor of the museum, on which the tables and dance floor were located.

Here is the lobby area, set up for the festivities. A full bar is to the right, out of view.

And here are the clever decorations around the room, mixed in with the museum decor.

This is their festive cupcake tower, provided by Square Rabbit of Raleigh.

Right across the street was the Caffé Luna, which hosted the rehearsal dinner and catered the food for the wedding reception. They offer excellent Italian cuisine and are always a big hit with guests.

It was a special wedding and promised to be a fun celebration into the wee hours of the morning. Here’s one of my favorite photos taken that night, of John and his Groomsmen (his dad and brothers) wearing their famous high tops.

Tara and John, may you have a wonderful life together doing things the way you like them best... unexpectedly.

Shannon and Steven met years ago when they were working together at a summer camp in Pennsylvania. A year later, he finished college and moved to NC to be closer to Shannon while she finished her degree.

They are a fun, romantic couple and as I write this post they are honeymooning in Paris. Ah romance. They wrote beautiful wedding vows to each other and I love the story of how Steven proposed to her; she loves to play Scrabble and he gave her a Scrabble game as a gift. While she wasn’t looking, he had pulled out tiles to spell “marry me” and put them out on his tray, exclaiming, “Hey, I’ve already got a word! You should come look at this.” When she came around to see his word, there she found his proposal, complete with a gorgeous ring. How can you not love a guy like that?!

Here’s the photo from that day, framed and displayed at the wedding. You can see her ring sitting on a Scrabble tile in the front.

They chose the setting for their romantic day to be the wonderful Greystone Inn and Conference Center. Sitting in a quiet neighborhood just outside of downtown Durham, it was originally the home of Washington Duke and now functions as an elegant event location. The owner, Leslie Brame, and her assistant, Theresa Writz, were on hand to make sure everything went smoothly for the happy couple. The wedding was held on the front steps of the house and the refreshments were served in the rooms of the first floor. Quite the elegant setting, it lends itself beautifully to so many different styles of weddings.

The front of the house

the grand piano room

the sunlit foyer coming down from the main staircase

Their wedding cupcakes and cakes were on display in the dining room which, judging by the amazing smells wafting through the house, was sure to be laid out with delectable treats in short order. Here are photos of the cupcakes and cakes, but I neglected to get the name of the bakery that made these beautiful confections that looked almost too good to eat.

Photographing the event were the team of Courtney and Josh Gray of Courtney Gray Photography. They were all over the place taking shots and I can’t wait to see their photos when they are online. Here are two that are currently on their blog;

For her “something old,” Shannon stitched an old wedding photo of her grandparents to the hem of her wedding dress. I have never seen that done before and found it incredibly touching. I got all choked up seeing it.

Shannon and Steven, I hope your life together is a wonderful string of romantic interludes and crazy adventures, starting with your Parisian honeymoon.

Shannon and Steven met years ago when they were working together at a summer camp in Pennsylvania. A year later, he finished college and moved to NC to be closer to Shannon while she finished her degree.

They are a fun, romantic couple and as I write this post they are honeymooning in Paris. Ah romance. They wrote beautiful wedding vows to each other and I love the story of how Steven proposed to her; she loves to play Scrabble and he gave her a Scrabble game as a gift. While she wasn’t looking, he had pulled out tiles to spell “marry me” and put them out on his tray, exclaiming, “Hey, I’ve already got a word! You should come look at this.” When she came around to see his word, there she found his proposal, complete with a gorgeous ring. How can you not love a guy like that?!

Here’s the photo from that day, framed and displayed at the wedding. You can see her ring sitting on a Scrabble tile in the front.

They chose the setting for their romantic day to be the wonderful Greystone Inn and Conference Center. Sitting in a quiet neighborhood just outside of downtown Durham, it was originally the home of Washington Duke and now functions as an elegant event location. The owner, Leslie Brame, and her assistant, Theresa Writz, were on hand to make sure everything went smoothly for the happy couple. The wedding was held on the front steps of the house and the refreshments were served in the rooms of the first floor. Quite the elegant setting, it lends itself beautifully to so many different styles of weddings.

The front of the house

the grand piano room

the sunlit foyer coming down from the main staircase

Their wedding cupcakes and cakes were on display in the dining room which, judging by the amazing smells wafting through the house, was sure to be laid out with delectable treats in short order. Here are photos of the cupcakes and cakes, but I neglected to get the name of the bakery that made these beautiful confections that looked almost too good to eat.

Photographing the event were the team of Courtney and Josh Gray of Courtney Gray Photography. They were all over the place taking shots and I can’t wait to see their photos when they are online. Here are two that are currently on their blog;

For her “something old,” Shannon stitched an old wedding photo of her grandparents to the hem of her wedding dress. I have never seen that done before and found it incredibly touching. I got all choked up seeing it.

Shannon and Steven, I hope your life together is a wonderful string of romantic interludes and crazy adventures, starting with your Parisian honeymoon.

Brooke and Al are a terrific couple and each has twinkling eyes - a sure sign that they both enjoy life to the fullest. As I write, they are just finishing up a three week honeymoon in Europe and must surely have filled up every moment, creating lots of special memories.

Al has two lovely daughters who were a part of the wedding party and here is a photo of him with his oldest. How proud she looks standing with her dad.

She was so into the wedding that she had her braces done in two of the colors Brooke and Al chose for their color scheme!

Speaking of the color scheme, things were a riot of bright, cheery colors all over the place - in the bouquets, provided by Preston Flowers;

the aisle flowers;

the Bridesmaids dresses;

even the Sand Ceremony they included during the wedding;

And Brooke looked elegant through it all in her beautiful and unusual gown. I’m sorry my photo of it doesn’t do it the justice it deserves.

The ceremony was held in the intimate Bryan Courtyard of The Carolina Inn and the exquisite harp music was provided by Laura Byrne, a warm personality and a musical genius. I always love working with her because she is such a special person and her music is superb.

Two more special people helping make the event a success were Martha Manning, the photographer, and Cori Stocum, the wedding planner. As you can see here, not only was the wedding covered professionally, but because Brooke and Al set a fun and friendly tone, everyone could relax and have a great time together.

(Unfortunately, this will be one of Cori’s last weddings because she is retiring to be a full time mom now that her daughter is starting school and getting involved in more activities. Cori and I have one more wedding together before her “retirement” and I am going to miss her cheery face and efficient ways.)

Outside the reception hall was this wonderful creation by Brooke’s mom - a towel cake with one of Brooke’s old Barbie dolls as the cake topper. I was told by a guest that Brooke’s mom is famous for making these and I’d say she outdid herself here.

Inside, the reception area was beautifully appointed with the wedding colors artfully displayed...

Two others on hand for the event - and equally important to its success - were Scott Russell, Martha Manning’s photographic assistant and second set of eyes, and the reception DJ, Jeff Simpson, of Simp Sound (great name!).

And of course I have to include these two adorable Flower Girls who stole everyone’s hearts.

It was a great wedding with lots of love, fun and memories for the couple with the twinkling eyes. Can’t wait to see those honeymoon photos!

Brooke and Al are a terrific couple and each has twinkling eyes - a sure sign that they both enjoy life to the fullest. As I write, they are just finishing up a three week honeymoon in Europe and must surely have filled up every moment, creating lots of special memories.

Al has two lovely daughters who were a part of the wedding party and here is a photo of him with his oldest. How proud she looks standing with her dad.

She was so into the wedding that she had her braces done in two of the colors Brooke and Al chose for their color scheme!

Speaking of the color scheme, things were a riot of bright, cheery colors all over the place - in the bouquets, provided by Preston Flowers;

the aisle flowers;

the Bridesmaids dresses;

even the Sand Ceremony they included during the wedding;

And Brooke looked elegant through it all in her beautiful and unusual gown. I’m sorry my photo of it doesn’t do it the justice it deserves.

The ceremony was held in the intimate Bryan Courtyard of The Carolina Inn and the exquisite harp music was provided by Laura Byrne, a warm personality and a musical genius. I always love working with her because she is such a special person and her music is superb.

Two more special people helping make the event a success were Martha Manning, the photographer, and Cori Stocum, the wedding planner. As you can see here, not only was the wedding covered professionally, but because Brooke and Al set a fun and friendly tone, everyone could relax and have a great time together.

(Unfortunately, this will be one of Cori’s last weddings because she is retiring to be a full time mom now that her daughter is starting school and getting involved in more activities. Cori and I have one more wedding together before her “retirement” and I am going to miss her cheery face and efficient ways.)

Outside the reception hall was this wonderful creation by Brooke’s mom - a towel cake with one of Brooke’s old Barbie dolls as the cake topper. I was told by a guest that Brooke’s mom is famous for making these and I’d say she outdid herself here.

Inside, the reception area was beautifully appointed with the wedding colors artfully displayed...

Two others on hand for the event - and equally important to its success - were Scott Russell, Martha Manning’s photographic assistant and second set of eyes, and the reception DJ, Jeff Simpson, of Simp Sound (great name!).

And of course I have to include these two adorable Flower Girls who stole everyone’s hearts.

It was a great wedding with lots of love, fun and memories for the couple with the twinkling eyes. Can’t wait to see those honeymoon photos!

SINCE 2010

SINCE 2012

SINCE 2015

THANK YOU!

I am so pleased to be included in the Couples’ Choice Awards at WeddingWire, the Best of Weddings Picks at The Knot, and to be recognized by The Knot as a Hall of Fame professional. Many thanks to everyone who took the time to put in kind words about me and my work. You are the reason I have received these awards and I thank you all very much.

Search This Blog

CONTACT REV. BARBARA LODGE

THE JOYS OF A WEDDING MINISTRY

I am an ordained Nondenominational minister who specializes in writing unique and personal ceremonies for weddings, vow renewals and christenings. I love the people I meet, the work I do and that I am always surrounded by love

In my 20+ years as a minister, I have delighted in watching the love between people and consider myself blessed to have been called to this ministry. Helping couples create ceremonies that suit their personalities and their lives has been a great joy and lots of fun.

There is no end to what the human spirit can create and it is life-affirming to be a part of the incredible excitement and happiness that weddings always bring.

For those of you whose weddings I have ministered, I thank you for the honor. And for those of you still planning your wedding, I hope the ideas you find here and the links to talented wedding professionals will help you create a wonderful day of your own.

For links to many other excellent wedding professionals with whom I’ve worked, visit the Resource Links page of my website.

A REUNION FOR REV. LODGE AND MEAGAN

I had married Meagan and Jeremy and a few years later Meagan was a Bridesmaid in the wedding of a friend she had referred to me. I love it when that happens!